Harmony class
The Harmony-class was an Orion-made type of personal fast escort/blockade runner starship in service in the 24th century, constructed by the Blue Star starship manufacturing company and intended for private and civilian use. Specifications The Harmony warp engines were LF-45 linear warp drives, the advanced warp propulsion systems at the time. With these, it was rated to cruise at warp six and max out at warp factor 9.9, capable of outrunning almost any other ship. The FIG-rated impulse engines allows for sub-light speeds of up to 0.9 c, equally difficult to keep up with. The Harmony-class ships were also sized and streamlined for atmospheric flight and landing. For defensive purposes, the Harmony had four GDM-3 disruptors. The vessel's stock configuration had no launcher weapons but it was protected by reliable CIDSS-4 deflector shields. The mono-refracting monotanium hull plating was allegedly added to maintain the passengers' privacy, and incidentally gave the Harmony-class a high-rated stealth capability against sensors. Another novel feature was the retractable hardpoint mount, which could be installed at no extra charge. This could be used to hide the disruptors behind the monotanium hull plating, effectively concealing the weapons, the cargo and the ship itself. The vessel measured 110 meters in length, 55 meters in width and 24 meters in height, with 4 decks. It crewed 10, with space to carry 45 standard cargo units (SCU), a significant amount of cargo but not unlikely for consumables on long voyages. There was also space for two standard-sized shuttlecraft in the vessel's single aft shuttlebay, which also contained a private skiff suitable for planetary landings The Harmony computer operations system was of the class 1 type, and the vessel was loaded with one standard personnel transporter and one cargo transporter stage. The ship had a class 1 life support system and a class 4a sensor system, as well as standard tractor beam emplacements. History Commissioned in the year 2365, the Harmony-class was developed by the Orion Blue Star construction firm at their Rigel system facilities. Though its original designs were as a regular luxury yacht, it had a suspect design history, and the finished product was actually a very fast, lightly armed blockade runner. It was advertised as a personal fast escort, supposedly intended for pleasure cruises. The vessel was controversial when first released, and its various sophisticated systems caused notice by several governments. The GDM-3 disruptors closely matched those used by the Klingon Defense Force on birds-of-prey. Though not technically illegal, their possession required a permit in most systems, while the Klingons were displeased to see their weapons used in such a suspect model. More worryingly, the LF-45 linear warp drive engines were of a Federation Starfleet design that had not yet been declassified for civilian use, and had only recently reached wide-scale production. The Orion Syndicate was identified by Starfleet Intelligence as the source of the design, while Starfleet's Advanced Starship Design Bureau subsequently received tightened internal security. How exactly the Orion designers obtained the technology for mono-refracting monotanium hull plating remained unknown. These unusual features made the vessel one of the most popular spacecraft in civilian and private use. Though many private and commercial interests did use it as a pleasure craft, it was also a superior choice for smugglers and border traders, perfect for dodging defenses and patrol vessels and generally avoiding notice. The Federation brokered diplomatic pressure on the Orion government to cease production of the vessels at Blue Star's facilities. By 2367, the Harmony was no longer being sold, although rumors persisted that the company continued building the vessels into 2368. It was also alleged that they sold the blueprints to the Boslics, who produced knockoff copies of the vessels with falsified registry numbers taken from previously lost vessels. Harmony-class vessels sold well through the black market and into the 2370s they appeared in use with increasing regularity, though usually in the hands of apparently legitimate owners. Seizing and searching these vessels proved to be a legal minefield, so Starfleet settled for keeping a close watch on any Harmony-classes that showed up, until the manufacturer could be discovered and dealt with. Known vessels As civilian vessels, registries of Harmony-class vessels according to their port of origin. However, they generally linked under the Federation Interstellar Permit Act ( ). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * :Unlike with every other list of ships, the source neglected to give any details about these example vessels. Connections category:starship classes category:orion starship classes category:blockade runner classes category:fast escort classes